The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-03
The Sunday Sehno1.
LESSON FOR DECEMBER IL. 1887.
BY REV. ROBERT t. POLK.
PARABLE OF THE TARES.
Matthew xiii. 24-30.]
TIE PARABLE.

The Parable of the Tares is but a confirm
alton of the illustration of the Parable of the
Sewer. Another phase of the existence and
progress of the kingdom of GoD in the world
is illustrated by the parable of the Tares.
The parable of the Sewer illustrated the diff
ferept classes of hearers that attended upon
JESUS ministry; and the different effects the
truths he declared had upon their lives and
characters. 1t illustrated the growth of the
Divine Word, which he came to scatter as
good seed among mankind. The parable of
the Tares illustrated the fact that the seeds
of evil are also sown in the world, and that
their products spring up and mingle with the
products of the good seed. The kingdom of
heaven is made to exist in the midst of
he kingdom of evil. In the progress of the
kingdom wicked men are permitted to min
gle with and even harass the righteous. This
fact may have perplexed the disciples, and
encouraged the enemies of their Master. 1t
appears to have been the common expecia-
ton that when the Messiah should come, he
would destroy all the enemies of his king
dom. The disciples may have wondered why
their Master did not exert his Divine power
to destroy his wicked enemies who were even
then plotting his destruction (xii. 14). If the
parable was spoken, as it appears to have
been, on the same day when the Scribes and
Pharisees made their blasphemous accusa-
tion that he was in league with the prince of
evil, and impiously demanded that he should
show them a sign xii. "a, 38), these circum-
stances may have been the occasion of speak
ing it, and it was intended to explain the pro-
cess of the administration of the Messiah's
reign. The "Sermon by the Sea-" so-called,
ia series of parallels illustrating the found
ing, progress and triumph of his kingdom.
They may not all have been spoken at the
same time, though they are recorded appa-
rently in immediate connection in the Cos
pei. The parallels of the seeds--the sower,
the tares, the seed MARK iv. 26f), and the
grain of mustard seed I'D, 32)-were proba-
bly, all spoken upon the same occasion and
in immediate connection, and in the pro-
gressive order in which they appear in the
Gospel records.
After relating the parable of the Sewer,
which described the different results of his
ministry with the people to whom he minis
soACAt ohoOo pEOCOCub W uoSCIlDo HIS ouo-
mics in their relation to the progress of his
kingdom. He related an incident of ma
Hgnlty familiar to farmers in his time, and,
indeed, not unknown in later, even our own
times, as is shown by Trench, Afford and
others. 1.-THE kingdom of HEAVIER" he said,
I" is like the case OF man who sowed good,
clean seed in his field, and his enemy came
In the night and sowed tares-the seed of
poisonous grass. In the course of the sea-
son. when the tares appeared among the
wheat, the servants of the man inquired if
they should gather it, and he replied that
they should not, lest it being SO plentiful,
they might destroy the wheat also; but
should let both grow together till the harvest,
when the reapers would separate the tares
from the wheat, and gather them together to
be burned, and gather the wheat into the
granary."